Structure andgovernance

The
University of Law is governed by a Board and an Executive Team.

The Board is made up of senior Executive Directors and independent
Non-Executive Directors. Its role is to oversee all aspects of the University's
operations, with special responsibility for ensuring its academic quality and
regulatory requirements.

The Executive Team is responsible for the strategic development and
day-to-day management of the University.

Chairman

Rt Hon Prof the Lord Blunkett

David became the Chair of The University of Law on 1st June 2015 following his decision to step down from Parliament at the General Election in May 2015. He served in Tony Blair’s Cabinet from 1997 to the end of 2005, and held the posts of Education and Employment Secretary, Home Secretary, and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

David has a wide range of interests including serving as patron or vice president to a number of leading charitable organisations, as well as maintaining an interest in his home city of Sheffield.

President & Independent Non-Executive Director

Lord Grabiner, Chair of RemCo

Lord Grabiner is a leading barrister, having worked for more than 40 years on high-profile commercial litigation, and is head of Chambers at One Essex Court in the Temple. He was first called to the Bar in 1969 and became a QC in 1981.

Lord Grabiner became a life peer of the House of Lords in 1999. He serves as non-executive chairman of the Arcadia Group Ltd. In 2015, he joined the Board of Directors of Goldman Sachs International as a non-executive director.

He is the master of Clare College, Cambridge University, and serves as non-executive director and president of The University of Law. Lord Grabiner earned a Master of Laws from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1967.

Vice-Chancellor & CEO

Professor Andrea Nollent

Andrea is The University of Law’s Vice-Chancellor & CEO, responsible for everything we do. She began her university career with Sheffield Hallam University, where she rose to become Head of the Law School and Assistant Dean of Faculty. More recently she was the Dean of Nottingham Law School at Nottingham Trent University.

Andrea’s career has focussed on the development of innovative academic and professional courses, securing growth and enhancing the quality of the student experience.

Andrea has published widely in the fields of comparative legal education and the internationalisation of higher education policy.

John Headley

Chief Financial Officer

John is responsible for all financial and business aspects of the University’s operations. A graduate of Oxford University, John is a Chartered Management Accountant who has worked as a Finance Director within the Bupa group as well as within large NHS hospital trusts and a major modern university in London.

John is a Non-Executive Director of Shoreham Port Authority and serves on the Audit Committee of the Economic and Social Research Council.

Deputy CEO

Elisabetta Ceragioli

Elisabetta brings a wealth of experience in business transformation and growth having successfully established the first Asian campus for the London School of Business and Finance in Singapore.

She has operated as interim CEO at GISMA Business School in Germany to re-establish operational effectiveness and most recently has been supporting GUS as Director of Business Transformation looking at the establishment of shared services for the group.

GUS Director (Non-Executive)

Aaron Etingen

Aaron Etingen is the CEO of Global University Systems, leading a team of over 1500 employees and ensuring that innovation, creativity and a strong commitment to high standards are embedded across the entire group.

With a background in the finance and banking sectors and strong management credentials, he led GUS from a small business school with 4 students to a global organisation. It now has more than 40,000 students and alumni from 180 countries, and a growing presence worldwide.

GUS Director (Non-Executive)

Valery Kisilevsky

Valery is the Group Managing Director of GUS, responsible for group shared services and non-academic operations.

Valery is an alumnus of the University, having completed the Graduate Diploma in Law at the College of Law. Valery also holds a BA (Hons) Political Science, Ethics, Law and Economics from the University of Toronto, an MSc International Political Economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Outside GUS, Valery is involved with a number of charities.

Independent Non-Executive Director

Carolyn Aitchison, Chair of the Audit Committee

Carolyn is a non-executive director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Northern Trust Global Services Ltd, the European subsidiary of a leading asset and fund administrator. She also sits on the Investment Committee of Edinburgh University’s £400 million Endowment and Investment Fund.

Her most recent executive role was as Managing Director at The Blackstone Group, where she was Co-head of Structured Products.

Having trained as a civil barrister, Carolyn helped The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation established financial and legal structures. Carolyn studied for an LL.B at Edinburgh University, and is an alumni of The University of Law.

Independent Non-Executive Director

Alfred Morris, Chair of the Academic Standards Committee

Alfred Morris began his career in higher education at Sussex University as a Senior Leverhulme Research Fellow.

He later became the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West of England in 1992 for 20 years, before establishing Higher Education Associates Limited. He also served on the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, the Further Education Funding Council for England, the Higher Education Quality Council, and the Council for National Academic Awards.

He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (former Council Member) and of the Royal Statistical Society.

Professor Andrea NollentVice-Chancellor & CEO

Andrea is The University of Law’s Vice-Chancellor & CEO, responsible for everything we do. She began her university career with Sheffield Hallam University, where she rose to become Head of the Law School and Assistant Dean of Faculty. More recently she was the Dean of Nottingham Law School at Nottingham Trent University.

Andrea’s career has focused on the development of innovative academic and professional courses, securing growth and enhancing the quality of the student experience.

Andrea has published widely in the fields of comparative legal education and the internationalisation of higher education policy.

Elisabetta CeragioliDeputy CEO

Elisabetta brings a wealth of experience in business transformation and growth having successfully established the first Asian campus for the London School of Business and Finance in Singapore. She has operated as interim CEO at GISMA Business School in Germany to re-establish operational effectiveness and most recently has been supporting GUS as Director of Business Transformation looking at the establishment of shared services for the group.

John HeadleyChief Financial Officer

John is responsible for all financial and business aspects of the University’s operations. A graduate of Oxford University, John is a Chartered Management Accountant who has worked as a Finance Director within the Bupa group as well as within large NHS hospital trusts and a major modern university in London.

John is a Non-Executive Director of Shoreham Port Authority and serves on the Audit Committee of the Economic and Social Research Council.

Professor Bill BrucePro-Vice-Chancellor, Academic Development

Bill Bruce started his academic career as a researcher at IHES, Paris, and after positions in Eire, UK and the US was appointed to a Chair of Pure Mathematics at his alma mater, the University of Liverpool, in 1990.

He was Head of the Department of Mathematics, Dean of the Social Sciences Faculty and senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor there and subsequently Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the Universities of Hull and Edge Hill. Bill has published over 100 papers, 6 books and has spoken at a range of international conferences.

He was Vice-President of the London Mathematical Society, represented the UK community on the management committee of the Isaac Newton Institute in Cambridge and has worked extensively for the EPSRC.

Vassilis KonstantinouPro-Vice-Chancellor, International Development

Before his appointment, Vassilis Konstantinou held the position of Pro-Vice-Chancellor for International Development at the University of South Wales (USW) and before that he was the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science at the University of Glamorgan and Dean of the Harrow School of Computer Science at the University of Westminster.

Vassilis is an executive level academic manager with substantial experience in major academic and industrial partnerships, international collaborations, branch campus development, innovative revenue strategies, and use of online interactive systems for TNE. He also possesses significant management of change experience having led major post-merger restructuring projects at the University of South Wales and campus realignment projects at the University of Westminster.

Peter Crisp Pro Vice-Chancellor, External

Having read Philosophy as an undergraduate, Peter switched to law qualifying as a Barrister at the Chancery Bar specialising in property and land law. Peter began his career in legal education at BPP Law School in 1997 as a lecturer on the Graduate Diploma in Law and Bar programmes. He served as Dean and CEO of BPP Law School from 2003 to 20017 and was a co-founder of BPP University.

Peter is non-executive Chairman of the Personal Support Unit, a legal charity which supports litigants in person through the civil court system.

Lesley HillChief Operating Officer

Joining The College of Law in 1997 Lesley’s first role was that of Head of Operational Services for the London Bloomsbury Centre. Appointed Centre Director in 2012 she has been an integral member of the University’s senior management team throughout the transition from charitable status to privately owned University. Appointed Chief Operating Officer in July 2016, Lesley now assumes responsibility for the delivery of the University’s operational services.

Lesley has previous management experience in The University (NLS) and Law Firm (Jones Day) sectors.

Kevin GriffithsDirector of Planning

Kevin joined the university in 2006, when it was still The College of Law, as one of the original tutors at the Moorgate Centre. A range of teaching and management responsibilities followed, leading to him becoming the Centre Director for Bristol in 2015.

Appointed as Director of Planning in July 2016, Kevin’s focus is now on leading the university’s strategic thinking, and ensuring our plans and achievements are implemented and communicated effectively.

Prior to joining the university, Kevin qualified as a solicitor and worked in London as a commercial litigator with Penningtons and Clyde & Co.

Joanna WagstaffeDirector Academic Registry

Joining The College of Law in 1996, Jo worked in the Assessment Office in Bloomsbury. She was one of the first recruits to the new Academic Registry established in 2002, becoming Academic Registrar in 2012. Responsible for standards and quality assurance of all our programmes, Jo works closely with colleagues throughout the University. She has been integral to the University’s successful degree awarding powers application and renewal, and is committed to maintaining excellent relationships with the QAA, Hefce, the OIA and other external bodies.